The present invention generally relates to a novel and improved case for housing, in palette form, a plurality of individual cosmetic containers. A case of the type with which the present invention is concerned is generally recognized in the art as a "compact" case. More particularly, however, the present invention relates to an improved compact case wherein removable inserts, each containing a predetermined shade and/or type of cosmetic, can be securely held in place thereby providing the user with a variety of cosmetic materials from which to choose.
The reader will appreciate that cosmetic materials offered to the consumer are too numerous in variety to name each one separately herein. Suffice it to say, however, that the particular cosmetic assortment which an individual consumer purchases is entirely dependent upon that consumer's subjective preferences. The reader will also appreciate that a consumer normally desires an assortment of cosmetics which includes the desired color hues to accent and complement that consumer's particular skin, hair color, facial characteristics, or even, wardrobe. Additionally, various types of cosmetics may be desirable, for example, eye shadow, mascara, foundations, blush, lip gloss or the like.
Heretofore, when a consumer desired to purchase an assortment of cosmetics in a single package, manufacturers would often present a palette of preselected, fixed containers of cosmetic materials having a variety of both colors and types. However, as has been briefly noted, it was highly unlikely that each consumer would subjectively approve of the manufacturer's preselected assortment. Consequently, the consumer would use only those cosmetics which met with their approval and therefore would waste those cosmetics which did not. This, of course, was costly to the consumer since the unused and wasted cosmetics were purchased together with desired cosmetics.
My invention, therefore, is intended to alleviate such wasteful practices and to ensure that consumers will have at their disposal a complete array of desired cosmetics. To accomplish this advantageous result, I provide a cosmetic compact case wherein a matrix configuration is provided to accept a plurality of individual removable cosmetic inserts so as to establish a cosmetic palette. In order to securely hold the inserts in their predetermined matrix position, I provide a hinged locking intermediate lid which defines a plurality of openings corresponding in number and position to the matrix configuration. The openings register with corresponding ones of the inserts so as to restrain them from inadvertant movement inside the compact case while, at the same time, permitting free access to all cosmetics contained in each of the inserts comprising the matrix.
It is entirely conceivable, therefore, that the individual cosmetic inserts can be offered to the consumer independent of the compact case of the present invention into which they will be positioned. Thus, consumers will now be able to choose only those preferred cosmetics which are desirable for purchase and assemble them in a compact case so as to establish a personal and unique arrangement of cosmetics. Furthermore, the novel compact case of the present invention can be provided with any combination of desired matrix configurations so that the quantity and variety of cosmetics which a consumer can have in an organized fashion is limited only in a practical sense by the resulting size thereof.
Accordingly, the consumer can now own a variety of cosmetics enclosed in one container for home use, yet be able to select only those cosmetics for carrying in a pocket or purse by removing the desired cosmetics inserts from the larger home-use case and placing them in a smaller, more portable version of the case. In each instance, the cosmetic inserts are identical in size and geometric configuration thereby promoting free interchangeability and versatility among compact cases having various matrix arrangements.
These and other advantages of the present invention will become more clear to the reader after careful consideration is given to the detailed description of the preferred exemplary embodiment thereof which follows.